Words to pray when you don’t have your own
Some days the heart is willing but the words won’t come. These are short, honest prayers you can borrow — read them slowly, or make them your own — for the needs that bring us to our knees.
A Morning Prayer
A gentle prayer to begin the day with God, before the noise of it begins.
A Prayer Before Sleep
A quiet evening prayer to lay down the day and rest in God's keeping.
A Prayer for a Difficult Time
A prayer for a hard season — for when life is heavy and you need God to carry you through.
A Prayer for a Friend
A prayer to lift up someone you love who is going through a hard time.
A Prayer for Anxiety
A short, honest prayer to pray when worry is loud and you need to hand it over.
A Prayer for Grief
A prayer for a mourning heart — gentle words for loss, when words are hard to find.
A Prayer for Guidance
A prayer for a decision or a crossroads — asking God to make the way clear.
A Prayer for Healing
A prayer for the sick and the hurting — for yourself, or for someone you love.
A Prayer for Peace
A prayer for a restless heart — asking God for the peace the world cannot give.
A Prayer for Protection
A prayer for safety and God's keeping — for yourself, your home, and those you love.
A Prayer for Strength
A prayer for when you are worn out and running on empty, and need strength that isn't your own.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving
A prayer to give thanks to God — for his goodness, his gifts, and his steady faithfulness.
It’s alright to borrow the words
Prayer is not a performance, and it does not require the right words. When you are frightened, exhausted, or grieving, sometimes the kindest thing is to let someone else’s words carry your heart to God until your own return. Christians have prayed borrowed prayers for centuries — the Psalms themselves are exactly that.
Each prayer here is written in plain, gentle language for a real need, and many are grounded in a verse of Scripture. Read one as it is, change a line to fit your own situation, or simply let it be a place to begin. God is not listening for eloquence. He is listening for you.